as long as you keep them well watered they can go out. dig the hole and then water the hole well then plant , back fill and re water. water well in the morning and in the evening.

Yes why not, prep the ground and go for it. You would be watering them in their pots so why not in the ground, get their roots going while the soil is warm and they can grow away.just fuss over them til they get going :))

Lupins like to have deep roots - keeping them in a small pot is possibly a reason that they failed. All your plants should get much larger after a few weeks out of those pots and in the garden. Personally I keep Gaillardia in a large container.

Thanks for advice. Planning to plant out this weekend.

Just watch out for slugs after all this rain, Laura. They love new lupin leaves. I've tried echinacea in the garden, and they seem to like a well drained site, but the rest are not particularly fussy. Gaillardia are also a bit touchy, I found, but that may also just be the soil. Perhaps that's why you keep yours in a pot, Kildermorie? Good luck with the planting. Annie (Cumbria)